A 5-year randomized trial to compare 1 or 2 implants for implant overdentures

A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by John R. Radford.

Abstract

There was a 'small number of relatively very dissatisfied outliers' (n = 9 from 62) although none of these patients experienced implant failure.

Main

Bryant SR, Walton JN et al. J Dent Res 2015; 94: 36–43

This study found there were no differences in satisfaction or survival of implant borne mandibular overdentures, when comparing those patients restored with either one or two implants. As background, two consensus conferences have concluded that overdentures supported by two implants is the minimum standard. However, another author is cited who argued such proclamations 'disregards those who cannot afford 2 implants'. This elegant randomised study carried out over 5 years, recruited 86 participants. Almost one quarter of the subjects dropped out over the study period, mainly as a consequence of death. After five years, no implants failed in those patients whose overdenture was supported by one implant, but in those patients who received two implants, 5 failed before loading (P = 0.11, ns) with one patient suffering a mandibular fracture at the failed implant. In 19 patients, there was fracture of the overdenture (35 fractured dentures in total), usually for those who received one implant.